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LOT 1343
Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Fly
2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
3/8 in. (0.50 grams, 11 mm).
Oval intaglio with a fly or another flying insect with detailed eyes and wings, and two pairs of legs. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the estate of a late collector, Woodbury, Connecticut, USA.
From a private collection acquired in 2006.
Cf. for a representation of a fly on Roman gemstones, Osborne, D., Engraved gems, Signets, Talismans and ornamental intaglios, ancient and modern, New York, 1912, pl.XXVI, no.16.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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LOT 1343
Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Fly
Estimate £60 - 80€70 - 93 (for guidance only)$81 - 108 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£5 (EUR 6; USD 7) +BP*
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'The Kenzo' Roman Marble Head of the Philosopher Hermarchus
Circa 1st-2nd century A.D.Estimate: £14,000 - 19,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £7,000
A finely carved marble portrait head of a middle-aged bearded male, possibly Hermarchus, with short, softly modelled wavy hair, deep-set and defined eyes, the lips almost hidden among the details of the beard; the facial expression appears stern but thoughtful, perhaps derived from the tradition of Roman Imperial portraiture; mounted on a custom-made stand. 2.34 kg total, 22.8 cm high including stand
Kenzo collection, the late fashion designer, acquired in the early 1980s. Ex French private collection. Charles Ede, 12 June 2008. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13436-262427.
The philosopher represented here must have been very important, and it can be assumed we can recognise one of the valuable copies, known in different variants, of the portrait of Hermarchus, successor of Epicurus at the head of the Epicurean School, who lived at Mytilene between 325 and 250 B.C., for its similarity with the portrait of the same philosopher at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (inv. no.2689). -
Roman Terracotta Forger's Coin Mould
Circa 3rd-4th century A.D.Estimate: £50 - 70 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Discoid clay mould with an impressed design of a campgate on each face. 5.13 grams, 28 mm
London gentleman's collection, 1970-1990s, by descent. -
Roman Opaque White Glass Patera Bowl
1st-2nd century A.D.Estimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Cylindrical body perched on a wide, slightly concave foot; the shoulders splayed outwards, leading to a thick trumpet-style rim gently curving upwards. 32 grams, 66 mm wide
Ex S.M. collection, London, UK, 1970-1999. Roman glass from an important London collection, acquired from the early 1980s. Accompanied by a typed previous catalogue information page with provenance.
The shape of this small cup derives from metal vessels of the Early Empire period or from ‘terra sigillata’ earthenware. Similar vessels were found throughout the Empire during the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. Vessels similar to this one have been discovered in the necropolis at Kourion, Cyprus (dating to the first half of the 1st century A.D.), in 1st-century finds from Gaul, and in Egypt, though the specific find spot and date in the latter case remain undetermined.
